FreeWave Technologies, a manufacturer of spread spectrum and licensed radios for critical data transmission, is expanding into the fast-growing solar power generation market. 

One of the main challenges faced by solar power generation companies is the need to easily build an infrastructure capable of accurately monitoring data results and controlling systems in real-time, company officials said.

FreeWave's wireless data radios address a wide range of wireless applications that support monitoring and control for all types of solar power generation models, from solar troughs, dishes, photovoltaic – tracking and stationary – and heliostats. 

The company's wireless technologies also help solar power generation providers reduce their installation and infrastructure costs, while also offering reliable, robust communication performance with dependable, easily installed networks. 

Colin Lippincott, leader of FreeWave's renewable energy practice, said that FreeWave's systems aim at eliminating solar power generation providers' need to trench and to run fiber or wire. With this, Lippincott hopes that FreeWave can provide them with a strong ROI-based resource that reduces their initial capital investment and long-term maintenance costs while also providing all of the necessary communications.

Widely known as a manufacturer of frequency hopping spread spectrum, or “FHSS,” wireless data radio technology, FreeWave has been producing some of the world's most sophisticated wireless data radios for the past 16 years, company officials said. 

FreeWave radios are implemented in locations spanning the globe, including “solar friendly” locations such as the American Southwest, the Middle East, Mexico and China. They have also been used by several energy companies, defense contractors, city and county municipalities and industrial manufacturers.

Solar power generation industry is still in infancy and is expected to grow at a fast clip. A recent report by JP Morgan (News - Alert) said that solar power generation providers are expected to grow faster almost than other industry for the next 10 years.

According to Lippincott, the time is ideal for FreeWave to enter this market because FreeWave's radios fill an especially critical need as solar power generation networks are being built. 

In August, FreeWave announced that it has joined the Rockwell Automation Encompass Product Partner Program with its solution for Wireless IO and IO Expansion capability using RF technology. With this membership, FreeWave is eligible for Encompass Partner benefits, such as participation in the Automation Fair.